Renaissance Netherlands Religion and Government!!!!
By:Kyla Bledsoe
The government and religion of Renaissance Netherlands was mainly based around Spain, only because of the fact that Spain practically took over the Netherlands in the 1500’s through early 1700’s.
To start with, I need to clarify that the religion of the Renaissance Netherlands was Roman Catholic to start out with. In the fourteenth or fifteenth centuries, Geert Groote, a reformer, established the Brethren of Common Life, an influential mystical order. Another prominent reformer was the humanist Erasmus, who harshly criticized, “The excesses of the Roman Catholic Church.”
In the sixteenth centuries a lot happened. During this time, the Dutch people fought a war of independence against the Catholic king of Spain, during a time when others struggled for the reformation of the Church. Because of this, Catholics couldn’t hold a public office, they had to worship under strict conditions, and were excluded a lot, so they formed secluded ghetto-like communities. The Netherlands were at the time identifying political liberty with a Protestant cause.
The most memorable part of the fifteenth through sixteenth centuries were the three waves of Reformation. The first wave was created by Martin Luther, but it didn’t have an effect on the Netherlands. The second wave consisted of Anabaptism ( a belief that strongly encouraged the Bible). A significant Dutch Anabaptist, Menno Simmons, initiated the Mennonite church, while another Anabaptist, Jantje Van Leyden, ruled New Jerusalem. In 1578 the Anabaptists were recognized by the States-Generals of the Netherlands. The third wave, Calvinism, came in the 1560’s converting most populations, mostly in Flanders. In 1568 William the Silent ( a convert to Calvinism) started the eighty year war to free the Calvinist Dutch from the Catholic Spaniards. Finally in the 1600’s a civil war broke out between the Orthodox Church and Liberal Calvinists, with the Orthodox Church coming out victorious.
As for the government, the Netherlands were a Constitutional Monarchy ( a monarchy where the Monarch is the head of state, while the Prime Minister is the head of government). In the 1300’s, the French Dukes of Burgundy won control over most of the Low Countries through inheritance, marriage, purchase, and war. Then they promoted a central government, so political and national unity began to develop. In 1506 Charles I, pulling the low Countries under Spanish control. Still gaining more power, he became archduke of Austria, and emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 1519. During this time, the seven provinces suffered religious persecution of the Spanish Catholic when Reformation, or more specifically Calvinism came back and took root in the Netherlands.
By 1548 Charles V-I made the total seventeen provinces a single administrative unit with his Hapsburg empire. Surprisingly, under Charles the provinces had considerable independence. For example, towns were lead by wealthy merchants, and rural districts by local nobility. Right before the end of his reign, Charles gave each of the seventeen provinces administrative council called a state, and naming the capital Brussels.
Finally in 1556, Charles abdicated from power, ensuing separation of his kingdom. His son, Philip II then became king of Spain. In 1568 Philip suppressed political liberties, for example: now they had to pay taxes. He not only stopped that, but the growing Protestant movement in the Netherlands. Because of this, William of Orange broke out a revolt.
Under the Union of Utrecht (Utrecht is a province) in 1579 the seven northern provinces became the United Provinces of Netherlands. All through the 1700’s the United Provinces and Spain were at war. In 1748 Spain finally acknowledged Dutch independence.
So overall you can see that Netherlands’s religion was flexible, but the government was touchy!
References:
By: Kyla Bledsoe
The government and religion of Renaissance Netherlands was mainly based around Spain, only because of the fact that Spain practically took over the Netherlands in the 1500’s through early 1700’s.
To start with, I need to clarify that the religion of the Renaissance Netherlands was Roman Catholic to start out with. In the fourteenth or fifteenth centuries, Geert Groote, a reformer, established the Brethren of Common Life, an influential mystical order. Another prominent reformer was the humanist Erasmus, who harshly criticized, “The excesses of the Roman Catholic Church.”
In the sixteenth centuries a lot happened. During this time, the Dutch people fought a war of independence against the Catholic king of Spain, during a time when others struggled for the reformation of the Church. Because of this, Catholics couldn’t hold a public office, they had to worship under strict conditions, and were excluded a lot, so they formed secluded ghetto-like communities. The Netherlands were at the time identifying political liberty with a Protestant cause.
The most memorable part of the fifteenth through sixteenth centuries were the three waves of Reformation. The first wave was created by Martin Luther, but it didn’t have an effect on the Netherlands. The second wave consisted of Anabaptism ( a belief that strongly encouraged the Bible). A significant Dutch Anabaptist, Menno Simmons, initiated the Mennonite church, while another Anabaptist, Jantje Van Leyden, ruled New Jerusalem. In 1578 the Anabaptists were recognized by the States-Generals of the Netherlands. The third wave, Calvinism, came in the 1560’s converting most populations, mostly in Flanders. In 1568 William the Silent ( a convert to Calvinism) started the eighty year war to free the Calvinist Dutch from the Catholic Spaniards. Finally in the 1600’s a civil war broke out between the Orthodox Church and Liberal Calvinists, with the Orthodox Church coming out victorious.
As for the government, the Netherlands were a Constitutional Monarchy ( a monarchy where the Monarch is the head of state, while the Prime Minister is the head of government). In the 1300’s, the French Dukes of Burgundy won control over most of the Low Countries through inheritance, marriage, purchase, and war. Then they promoted a central government, so political and national unity began to develop. In 1506 Charles I, pulling the low Countries under Spanish control. Still gaining more power, he became archduke of Austria, and emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 1519. During this time, the seven provinces suffered religious persecution of the Spanish Catholic when Reformation, or more specifically Calvinism came back and took root in the Netherlands.
By 1548 Charles V-I made the total seventeen provinces a single administrative unit with his Hapsburg empire. Surprisingly, under Charles the provinces had considerable independence. For example, towns were lead by wealthy merchants, and rural districts by local nobility. Right before the end of his reign, Charles gave each of the seventeen provinces administrative council called a state, and naming the capital Brussels.
Finally in 1556, Charles abdicated from power, ensuing separation of his kingdom. His son, Philip II then became king of Spain. In 1568 Philip suppressed political liberties, for example: now they had to pay taxes. He not only stopped that, but the growing Protestant movement in the Netherlands. Because of this, William of Orange broke out a revolt.
Under the Union of Utrecht (Utrecht is a province) in 1579 the seven northern provinces became the United Provinces of Netherlands. All through the 1700’s the United Provinces and Spain were at war. In 1748 Spain finally acknowledged Dutch independence.
So overall you can see that Netherlands’s religion was flexible, but the government was touchy!
References:
Take a trip back to the Netherlands